Twisted
by MissWritingStoriesObsessed
Summary: What if Donald Ressler hadn't killed Laurel Hitchin? Spoilers for the end of Season 4. Reviews are loved and appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

**Twisted.**

Part One.

This is my first time ever writing a 'Blacklist' story, but I got this idea and thought I would run with it. I've not seen any stories like this, and it doesn't involve a pairing as such, but hopefully, it's a fun read, but I get if it's not everyone's cup of tea.

'What if Donald hadn't killed Laurel Hitchin?'

Warning for a very twisted relationship, or at least a twisted one-sided relationship.

Like I said, I get this is not everyone's cup of tea, so I will post the first chapter and see where we go from here. Reviews are loved and appreciated.

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

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 _"You don't pee standing up in my house, Donald."_

Donald pushed her back, for a split-second he was content with letting her fall to the floor, but the moment she tripped he found himself moving to grab her arm, pulling her upright. A silence fell between them almost immediately. Laurel fought to find her composure, the slightest hint of fear etched on her face as Donald kept a firm grip on her arm, staring right at her, almost as if it were an intimidation tactic, one that he knew deep down wouldn't affect her.

Donald couldn't find words to speak, he was too shocked at himself for grabbing her, potentially saving her life. She'd made his hell for weeks, months even, but still he couldn't bring himself to let her fall, or die for that matter. Letting go of her arm he could see she was still trying to compose herself, the rise and fall of her chest, how many deep breaths she was taking, how hard her body was working to get rid of the shock she must have felt from falling backwards. Neither of them made a sound, Laurel fighting for calm, and Donald angry for doing what he just did. Thoughts bouncing around his head, how much easier his life would be had he have left her there, had he of walked away.

"Sit down. I'll get you some water." Donald said after a moment, although his voice is tight and harsh, he had no time to be nice or even polite. Anger was still boiling inside him, and she would be the one he took it out on without hesitation.

"Agent…" Laurel tried, folding her arms across her chest, but Donald wasn't interested in hearing her out.

"Sit down." He said again, this time with more force, not stopping to see if she'd move, instead, going through kitchen cabinets in search of a glass. He slammed the doors just to make a point, eventually finding a glass and filling it with water from the tap, waiting a few seconds, taking a deep breath before he turned around to face her again.

When he turned around, she was sat on the couch, and Donald couldn't help but feel like he's in a dream, it all seems so surreal, how quiet she was, why she hadn't spoken? She was clearly shocked, but he thought she would regain some composure quicker, but instead she was sat, lost in thought. Donald felt the slightest bit sorry for her, but pushed the feeling down, not wanting to feel anything for the evil woman that she was.

He trusted her. He trusted the system, he thought she was the help, thought she would support the task force, but instead she chose him as a target and made his life hell. After all, she had put him through, there was no way he was going to allow himself to feel sorry for her.

"I'm leaving. Don't call me again. I did what you asked, and I nearly lost my badge because of you." Donald put the glass down on the table, before taking a step back. Laurel smiled, shaking her head as she pushed herself off the couch to a stand in front of him.

"You do as I ask, or the next time I take your badge will be the last." Donald laughed a little, there was the woman he knew and hated, he put his hands on her shoulders, almost as if he were holding her steady, but more so to make a point.

"You will leave me alone, or the next time I push you away, I won't stop you from falling, and it certainly won't be in your kitchen." Laurel's face altered slightly, but not much, even though it was only a second Donald could still see it. Almost like a warning sign.

"We're going to have to make this marriage work, Donald." Seconds passed, and Donald shook his head, moving backwards, but Laurel had other ideas.

He knows her, how evil she is, how manipulating she can be, how dangerous she became. She was almost as bad a Reddington, but with more political power, she didn't need an immunity agreement to avoid charges, she had the President on speed-dial, the moment she pressed that button she would be protected by the US Government. Ressler wasn't sure what angered him more, her arrogance, or the fact that it would be him, as part of the US government that protected her from any crime she chose to commit.

His train of thought was stopped when he found himself with Laurel a lot closer to his body, and only seconds later for her lips to be on his. He wanted to push her away, but he was frozen in the moment, frozen in his thoughts and almost confused at what was actually going on, the surreal feeling from before was still hanging around like a bad smell, but on through was clear, she was enjoying this.

A minute passed before Laurel moved her head away from his, a smile on her face, that made it look as though she'd won like this was some twisted game and she had gotten first place. She looked happy with herself, and for the first time since potentially saving her life Donald actually looked at the woman stood in front of him, how smug she seemed, how strong she was, and also how confident she came across, you didn't need to be an expert to see that Laurel Hitchin had perfected the 'powerful woman' look over many years of working her way up.

"What is it that you want?" Donald asked, ignoring what she'd already said.

"I want you to do what I want when I say. What I say goes and you need to respect that." He laughed because it was mad, a special kind of crazy that only some of the world's worst people seemed to be capable of.

"I'm not about to respect a murderer. I do this job to put people like you behind bars." Laurel laughed a little, reaching up to straighten his tie, mimicking the actions of the perfect house wife, in the perfect house with the perfect working husband.

"Stop it." Donald steps backwards, but Laurel only moves forward, memories from only five minutes previous when he told her to stop and nearly ended her life, he'd seen head trauma before, she'd be gone the moment her head hit the corner of the kitchen island.

"You need to stop playing your twisted mind games. You are sick and you need help, I'm not going to wait around for your orders, you killed a friend of mine, you are the reason I nearly lost everything I have ever worked for. I am going to leave and you are going to do whatever the hell it is criminals do when you're not hurting others…" Ressler raised his voice, not a care in the world at who could hear him, he assumed she had security somewhere, but he was past caring, he was too angry, too upset to even think about hearing her out and considering what she was telling him.

"Shut up! God, you talk too much, Agent Ressler." Laurel shook her head slightly. "I wasn't going to let you lose your job and for the last time, I am not a criminal." It was frustrating for Donald to see how calm she was, how this didn't seem to faze her, how she didn't see the consequences of her actions.

"I'm leaving." He didn't have the time or even mental energy to go on about how she killed the second highest ranking official in the justice department, or how she was mad to think that after knowing him for two years that he would so easily walk over to the dark side.

"We'll have to talk more tomorrow. It would be a shame for this not to work out." Donald didn't say anything else, he just walked out of her living room, his badge in his pocket, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into, because although it made him sick to his stomach admitting it, Laurel Hitchin, if nothing else, was determined, and didn't look as though she was going to quit anytime soon.

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What did you think? Would you like me to add more, or would you rather this be a one-shot? Reviews are loved and appreciated. Bethany.


	2. Chapter 2

**Twisted.**

Part Two!

Reviews are loved and appreciated. I promise I did spell check, but any mistakes are mine!

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

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Donald was woken up by a pounding on his door, but already he had an idea of who it was. He'd barely slept, thoughts running through his mind of how this was going to play out, how this would end, if Laurel would ever give up.

He should have ignored it, but the woman seemed content on banging on the door until he answered, so he pulled himself out of bed, and grabbed some running pants and a t-shirt, so he could answer the door, the last thing he needed was pissed off neighbours to deal with.

He didn't speak, and neither did she when he pulled the door open, she smiled before walking in, and he found himself unbothered by how she moved straight to the kitchen to make herself a drink. It annoyed him the feeling of not caring that she was in his apartment, making coffee, but he would deal with his emotions later, right now he needed to get her out, or at least get himself dressed so he was able to get her out.

"It's 4:45 in the morning, Laurel." He commented, watching her as she looked around his kitchen, much like he had done when looking for a glass to fill when he'd almost let her fall, although she seemed a lot calmer than he had done.

"We need to talk." Donald only clenched his fists before moving back to his bedroom, getting ready for the day, and mentally preparing himself for dealing with the woman in his kitchen.

Walking over to the bathroom, a part of him hoped she slipped something into his coffee, something that would either knock him out or kill him, he was done with fighting her, and he was sure the fight hadn't even begun.

Turning the shower on, he waited a few moments moving back to lock the door before he got undressed, a part of him remembering the kiss that Laurel had given him, and how pleased she looked, and then the use of word 'marriage' that seemed to roll so easily off her tongue, it made him feel uneasy, and made him feel slightly uncomfortable in his own apartment, so he felt locking the door was necessary, but also unnecessary, he was an FBI agent, he should have been able to take her.

Showering was the easy part, as was getting dressed, the hard part would be facing her. Laurel. He had mixed feelings about the woman, happy that she seemed so committed to not letting him lose everything but annoyed and angry at everything else she did. She had killed his friend, made his life hell, and yet she wanted to be around him, almost like a pathetic school kid with a crush on one of the boys. Although, Donald had more reason to believe, the kiss and the marriage metaphor was more a play for power than it was a hint that she was in love.

Love was an emotion he was sure Laurel wasn't capable of.

Walking back out into the living area, Donald had now gotten dressed, leaving only his shoes, tie, and jacket to put on, but he would do that later, when he was about ready to leave if she let him leave. She seemed to make herself at home, and he wanted to be bothered by it, but his mind was so conflicted, he just hoped the 'hate' side won, he wanted to hate her, she was a killer, a psychopath, she didn't deserve a second chance or a job, she deserved a prison cell in a black site in the middle of the Atlantic.

"I made you some coffee," Laurel said, her tone of voice not giving anything away as she stood next to one of the windows looking out at the street below.

"Picking your next target, or am I it?" He asked, glancing back at her, catching her reflection in the window, she was smirking, he was sure of it.

"Why would I want to kill you?" She asked, now turning fully to look at him, taking a few strides to reach the kitchen, a playful smile on her face as she took another sip of her coffee, coming within inches of him, but he didn't seem fazed by her presence at all. Of course, he was fazed, he was angry and frustrated, he was just trained not to show it.

"Do you need a reason, Laurel?" He asked, now turning to face her, almost toe to toe. Donald was a few inches taller than her, but she didn't seem intimidated by his stance.

"Of course, I do, I am not that inhuman." Donald took a step back, shaking his head, getting back to making a fresh cup of coffee. He could feel Laurel watching him, and he wished he could do something to make her leave, but she still had a hold on him, he just couldn't figure out why, or at least the real reason, he was sure if he asked her she would lie.

"You know, a part of me wondered if this was some sort of twisted crush you'd developed for me, which I guess is typical for an egocentric male," Ressler began, smiling at his own words, Audrey had called him that once. "But then, it hit me. I doubt you even have the ability to show love, or maybe even feel it. Maybe that's why the killing of innocent people comes naturally to you?" He stopped briefly.

"So, what you're doing, the kiss and the marriage metaphors you seem so fond of, is power play, but, here is the thing with power play," He stopped, this time taking a sip of his coffee. "You need to be good at it, and you need to play it with those who don't know what you're doing. So, you've failed on both of those points." He finally finished, leaning back against the counter.

Laurel's face altered only slightly, but when it did he could see that he had gotten to her, even if it was only slightly. Laurel took a step forward, almost backing him into the corner of his kitchen, her hands on her hips, almost as if she was trying to make herself feel powerful, but Donald wasn't going to give her that satisfaction, instead, he put his coffee down next to him, and placed both hands on her shoulders, but before he could speak, she did.

"Power play or not, you still have to do as I say." The smile on her lips told him that she had no backup plan, so he nodded, pushing her backwards slightly, heading to a small side table in his apartment. Crouching down, he pulled open the small door and tapped in a code to the safe that was hidden there. Opening the door, he reached for his gun and badge.

He knew it would kill him to hand them over, this was a job he loved, a job he felt he was meant to be doing, but he couldn't play her sick games, he couldn't have her in his apartment knowing that she was the one responsible for so many horrible things.

"If I give you these, it's over. I resign and you disappear, you can find someone else to play games with." He put the weapon and badge down on the counter beside her, reaching for his coffee mug, waiting to see what she had to say.

It made him feel sick, the realisation had sunk in that he was actually entertaining the idea of going along with her sick game. The thought crossed his mind, it could have been simple, he'd tell her what she needed to know and he would get on with his day, maybe if did it she wouldn't show up at his apartment at some stupid time in the morning.

He couldn't help but feel as though this was so similar to Liz and Red. He hated it. He saw how hurt Liz was, he watched her run for her life, he saw the pain Red had put her through, almost losing Agnes, losing Kaplin, he didn't want that for himself, nor did the task force need to be working with another criminal.

His train of thought made him shake his head.

"Take them and go, I won't be a part of whatever you have in mind." Ressler walked away from her, heading back into his bedroom, grabbing his suit jacket that he'd left on his bed. Telling himself he could write his resignation when he got to work. As he got himself ready, he knew he needed to tell Hitchin to leave, the last thing he needed was her in his apartment when he wasn't, he still didn't know what her agenda was and as he kept telling himself, he didn't need to be a part of it.

"Look…" He said walking out of his bedroom, stopping when he noticed she'd gone. His badge and gun were still sitting on the side where he'd put them. Taking a few steps forward he kept looking around as if she would appear at any moment, but as he reached the counter, reaching for his gun and badge he noticed the piece of paper tucked between them.

' _Intimidation Badge earnt. Well done. We'll talk later, have a good day.'_

He read the note twice before scrunching it up and throwing it in the trashcan. None of it really concerned him. Boy Scouts, something else that she seemed to enjoy talking about, along with marriage and how she was in no way a criminal.

' _We'll talk later.'_

Well, Plan A was to get her to leave, and if that wasn't going to work, then Plan B was all Ressler had.

He was going to ignore her. That's how you deal with the bully in the playground, you ignore them until they eventually get bored. He only hoped it worked with government employees the way it did with 12-year olds.

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Thank you for reading, reviews are loved and appreciated. Bethany.


	3. Chapter 3

**Twisted.**

Part Three.

Reviews are loved and appreciated. Mistakes are mine, enjoy!

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

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"Ressler, Laurel Hitchin is on her way up, she wants to talk to you." Cooper said from the elevated walk way.

Donald had to hold in the groan he wanted to let out when he heard to woman's name. Looking over at the team, he just shrugged, he didn't want to get into that conversation, whether she was here or not they still had a criminal to find.

"Call Reddington, see what else he has on this guy." Donald turned to Liz who just nodded before her eyes followed him to the elevator. The case they'd been working on seemed to come to a dead end, literally when everyone who came into contact with the man had been killed only hours later. Reddington said his name was 'Mallory' meaning unfortunate, but it didn't mean much to Ressler, he just wanted to find him and put him behind bars. Do his job.

"Agent Ressler." She greeted him, the same clothes she'd been wearing that morning when she was in his apartment.

Ressler nodded to the two guards who brought her up, before he motioned down the hall, so both of them could talk in private. He didn't know what she wanted, but if this was more of her 'marriage' talk then he didn't need the other overhearing him. He was doing all he could to avoid the woman, to tell her over and over that he would not do what she wanted.

"You've been avoiding my calls."

"I've been busy. You know, doing the job you worked really hard to take away from me?" He laced his voice with sarcasm, closing the door behind the two of them.

Laurel shook her head, and Donald knew what was coming, she was going to tell him how she wasn't going to let him take her job, how she wasn't a criminal, and how they needed to make this 'marriage' work.

"Your job was always safe, Agent." She said as she sat down at the desk, motioning for him to sit down in the chair across from her. Donald couldn't help but think how this felt more like an interrogation than a chat, but then again, it probably was knowing Hitchin.

"What do you want? I have a job to do." Donald asked although he did sit down, a part of him wondering if doing what she asked would make his life easier.

It had been constant for the past two days, debating if or not to go along with her twisted game, just for an easy life, but he wasn't sure he could go along with it, knowing that he would have dead bodies and heartbroken families on his mind.

"I wanted to know if you'd thought any more about what I said. I need something doing and you seem like the perfect person for the job." Ressler shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I said no." Laurel only laughed at his answer, reaching down into her bag, pulling out a manila folder. Ressler continued to shake his head, he wasn't about to work for a criminal, in his eyes he already worked for one, and even that was hard enough, he couldn't work for her, if he was being honest with himself it was taking all his mental strength to be sat in the same room as her, knowing she'd killed a friend of his.

"I want you to find out…"

"No." He interrupted her, watching as she placed the folder on the table.

"Agent Ressler."

Donald shook his head, leaning forward, his voice was low and harsh, he didn't need anyone else hearing this, as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted this to stay between the two of them, he could deal with her on his own, and hopefully, eventually, she would disappear.

"I said no. You killed a friend of mine, I don't care if you think you're a criminal or not, you hurt someone I knew, you think the government will protect you and maybe it will, but I won't do your dirty work, I refuse to get involved in a game of cat and mouse, you are not my boss, you are evil, and I won't put my job or my life on the line for a woman who is betraying her country." His speech was something even his didn't expect, but still, he had said it now.

Laurel's face altered only slightly, much like always, but Ressler didn't care about her emotions, he didn't want to know what she was feeling, all he knew was his own emotions were telling him that he couldn't get involved, he couldn't play her game, he wouldn't.

A minute passed before Ressler got up, but she stopped him just before he could pull the door open.

"You are like a dog with a bone. I have told you that I will not let you lose your job and that I am not a criminal, Reddington is a criminal and you work with him. This is not a game. I want you to do as I say as your superior, I have no tricks up my sleeve, I need you, as an FBI agent to find out information." Laurel stood up, taking a few steps closer to him, holding out the folder she needed him to see.

"Reddington may be a criminal, but if one thing is certain he cares about Agent Keen's wellbeing and the safety of this task force, the same can't be said for you." Ressler didn't want to admit it, Reddington had still ended lives, but if one thing was certain, he did care for Liz, her life, and the lives of those around her.

"Run the background checks, Agent Ressler, I expect a full report tomorrow morning." She pushed the folder into his chest, and on autopilot Ressler took it, watching as moved back to the table to pick up her bag, waiting on seconds for him to move so she could leave the room.

"Have a good day, dear," She told him with a smile before walking down the corridor.

Before Ressler could leave the room, he had to take in what had just happened. He looked at the folder she had given him and wondered if or not to open it. He didn't want to know who she needed information on, he didn't care, or at least he told himself he didn't care. The one thing had could deal with was that Reddington sent them after were criminals, they ruined lives, he didn't know if Laurel was the same, or if she was simply doing it for her own personal gain.

Either way, he left the small room with the folder in his hand, flipping it open as he walked towards his office. The first few pages were blank, which made him think it was a joke, but after flicking through some more pages, he stopped just a few steps away from his office, looking at page feeling a mixture of confusion and anger. Stepping over the threshold into his office, he pushed the door closed, not caring about the loud bang it made.

"What the hell are you playing at?" He muttered, putting the folder down on his desk.

Looking directly at a photograph of himself attached to all of his personal information.

Now he knew, this really was a joke, Laurel Hitchin wasn't a criminal after criminals, she was a woman with her own agenda, an agenda that Ressler would continue to tell himself he would not support.

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Thank you for reading, let me know what you think. Bethany.


	4. Chapter 4

**Twisted.**

 **Part 4.**

Thank you for the other reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always reviews are loved and appreciated!

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

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The more Donald stared down at his file, the more he tried to come up with a plan, either telling Cooper, or trying to do this alone, neither one sounded like a good idea, but he refused to let this one go. Flicking the file closed he leaned back in his chair, hoping something would come to mind, a case, a lead, something Reddington needed, anything to distract him from Laurel Hitchin.

Although, he did have one idea he'd been toying with since he left her house with his badge. He could get close to her, he could do what she wanted in order to find out what really happened to Wright, to find out why, because that was what intrigued him the most, she hadn't really given him a reason, and if anything, he needed one. He was sick and tired of losing people he was close to, without being given a reason, something to help the grieving process, although he and Wright were not that close, she was one of the only people he trusted.

"Well, two can play that game," Sitting up in his chair, he reached for the phone on his desk, keying in a familiar number in his line of work, holding it to his ear waiting for a connection, planning his next move in his head.

While the team downstairs worked on the next blacklister, he would work on his own.

Laurel Hitchin.

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Skimming the pages of the file, Donald realised not much of it could be useful. She was smart, he would give her that. Top marks from University, a job with the Washington's General Attorney's office, before moving on to the FBI, moving to different positions within the government, to get to where she was now, National Security Advisor to the President.

Scanning through the next page he realised that he wouldn't find much within her personnel file. It came to Ressler that he would probably never know the real reason she killed Wright, the real reason she pulled the trigger, but he would try. It would also give him something to do, maybe a reason he could give to Hitchin to avoid the meetings she was so insistent on having.

Donald wondered if or not he should request more information, look at her routine, put surveillance on her, but he knew he would need a reason, and that would lead to a conversation with Cooper that he wasn't sure on having yet, besides, with all the power and authority she had, as well as the skill he wouldn't admit she had, he was sure it wouldn't be long before she called off whatever he asked to do.

Picking up his phone, he scrolled through his phone log, looking for her number. He didn't have it saved, but after watching it pop up so many times he recognized it. Putting the phone up to his ear, he knew he needed to be nice, he needed to play along, to get the information he needed.

" _Agent Ressler, I wondered if you'd call. Did you get a chance to look through the file I gave you?"_

" _Yes, I was surprised, I'd forgotten about my internship at City Hall." He said, it was a lie, it was the longest summer of his life, dressed in a suit, making coffee and manning the photocopier, hoping to do something that would actually be of use to him._

 _There was a moment of silence before Ressler spoke again._

" _I did some digging on you too. I didn't realise you and Reven Wright grew up in the same town."_

" _Neither did I, Agent. What else did you find out about me?" She asked._

" _You failed your maths in High School, but got an A* in biology. Tell me, is that why you knew exactly where to shoot Wright so that she would bleed to death within a matter of minutes?" He could hear a chuckle on the other end of the line._

" _I really don't think that's what we should be talking about, Agent."_

" _Did you want to kill her, was it planned or did she say something? Something to offend you? Did she know too much?" Ressler wanted to push her, see how far he could get before she hung up, how much information he could get out of her, how many answers he could find._

" _Donald, why are we talking about this, it's in the past, we should focus on the future." Donald didn't have a reply, but a part of him wanted to keep talking. It had worked with Liz and Red. Liz kept trying, kept asking the questions she wanted to know, and eventually, she would get an answer. Ressler had to hope it would work in this situation._

" _I want to get closure for a friend."_

" _I don't have answers for you, Donald. Maybe you should keep digging, you could earn your 'investigative badge'."_

The line went dead, and Donald cursed inwardly. Although he didn't want to give her the satisfaction, he knew he would have to keep digging, he wanted to know the truth.

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He sat at his desk for close to an hour, reading and rereading the file. Trying to memorise as much information about Laurel Hitchin as he could. Hoping some of it could be useful.

His phone began to ring, and while another conversation with Laurel wouldn't be the end of the world, he wasn't sure he could hold a conversation with her, knowing that she probably wouldn't answer his questions.

" _Ressler."_

" _Agent Ressler, this is Alex Mason, I am with the Washington Daily, do you have a minute?"_

" _My answer is no comment, Alex." Ressler was about to hang up the phone when the male voice on the other end of the line said a name he hadn't heard in years._

" _Even to Leona Riley?"_

" _No comment." Ressler put the phone down, and immediately, began to get his things together._

Reaching down to the bottom drawer of his desk, under the bottle of scotch, under some other files and random sheets of paper he pulled a file. Opening it, his eyes fell onto the various newspaper clipping he'd put in there over the years.

But only one stood out.

' **ROOKIE COP SHOOTS INNOCENT WOMAN.'**

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Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think, Bethany.


	5. Chapter 5

**Twisted.**

Part 5.

I understand this is going slightly off track, but I hope it is still a good read!

Reviews are loved and appreciated! Mistakes are my own, enjoy.

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

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Ressler shoved the folder into his briefcase, although he knew it was a bad idea, because he would go back to his apartment and read the file start to finish. He would once again memorise the 28-page case report, the one that nearly ended his career.

Leona Riley was a name that had been haunting him for years. He'd learnt from his father that every cop had a name. A name of a victim or a criminal, a bystander, another cop or just someone who was linked to any of them. But everyone had a name.

The next thing his father told him was that he would be alright, as long as no one knew the name. But, Ressler was not that lucky. Somehow, a reporter had gotten hold of it, and all Ressler could think of was Hitchin. Maybe it was a way to get him to cooperate? Maybe it was a test? If he spoke then he would be no use to her, because he couldn't keep a secret? Or maybe she just wanted to see him suffer? Ressler knew any one of them could be true, but he wanted to know which. So, for tonight he would put off reading the case report, looking through the crime scene photographs and reading the newspaper clippings, tonight he would go back to Hitchin's house and demand to know why.

Why she felt the need to play the mind games. How she knew about Leona Riley, and just what she planned on doing next.

As he got down to his car he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he looked at the screen. A text message from the report who called earlier.

' _Answer my questions or I run the story.'_

Ressler stopped for a brief moment before he carried on walking. The reporter couldn't know the whole story, and out of those who did, Ressler was the only one still able to tell it. He assumed the man had found the name somewhere and simply ran with it, digging as much as he could until he landed on Ressler, who was not going to talk.

Ressler just had to keep reminding himself that no one knew the story. Or at least the correct version of the story.

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As Donald drove through the city, he thought about calling the reporter back, but he knew it wouldn't lead to anything good. He was sure Laurel had something to do with it, so in his mind, it was easier to go straight to the top instead of playing games with a reporter who, more than likely, only wanted to make a big story.

Pulling into the driveway of Hitchin's house, he took a deep breath. This was really where he didn't want to be on an evening, or just, ever, but she had answers that he needed, so he was going to have to get used to the fact that he could end up spending a lot of time sitting in her living room putting up with her marriage metaphors.

Knocking on the door, he glared a little at the secret service agent who he'd knocked out a few weeks ago. It really was nothing personal, he had been drugged, but he still didn't like the man. So, he was pleased when the front door was pulled open, but Ressler did have to take a moment when he saw a young girl stood there.

"Hi, are you here to see my mum?" Ressler only nodded.

"Are you an agent?" She asked with a smile. The young girl had blonde hair, was wearing gym clothes and looked like a smaller, younger version of Hitchin, which made no sense, because he would have known if Hitchin had a child. It would have come up somewhere.

"Yes, I'm with the FBI." Ressler managed.

"Please, can I see some I.D?" Ressler handed the young girl his I.D badge and carried on staring before a noise from inside the house stopped him.

"Agent Ressler, how nice to see you. Emma, he's okay you can let him in." Emma moved to the side, letting Ressler into the house.

"We need to talk." Laurel nodded.

"Of course, come through. Can I get you a drink?" She asked, before stopping in the doorway, turning back to face himself and the young girl.

"This is Emma by the way, my daughter." Laurel had a smile on her face, the one he'd seen before, after she'd kissed him, the one that said, 'I won'. She knew it wouldn't be in her file, and Ressler could see it in her eyes that she was enjoying the shock that was written on his face.

"Nice to meet you…" Ressler wanted to go on. In the moment, he had so many questions but Laurel stopped him.

"Agent, come sit down." Ressler did as he was told, not wanting an argument, more because he had questions about the reporter but also because now there was someone else in the house.

Laurel sat next to him, a little too close if he was being honest, but a part of him expected it. He had learnt to expect the unexpected with his job, more so since meeting and then working with Raymond Reddington, but he hadn't really had to put it into practice until he met Laurel Hitchin, now, expecting the unexpected had become something of a daily ritual.

"What is it you needed to talk to me about." Ressler could hear the happiness in her tone. More than likely because he was there at her house, drinking coffee, talking. He imagined that to Hitchin, each time he entered her home, she was getting one step closer to getting him to do exactly what she wanted him to.

"I need you to call off that reporter. You and your twisted mind games are between us, I don't need anyone else getting caught in the crossfire."

"What reporter, Donald?" Ressler shook his head.

"Don't play dumb. We both know you're too educated for that. Look, I do not have time for games. So, either call off that reporter or I go upstairs and I tell that young girl exactly what you did to Wright." Laurel gave him a look, one that he hadn't seen before.

For a moment, he wasn't sure if it was shock or fear or a little of both, but it didn't matter. Ressler did not have time to go through the motions with her. He needed the reporter to stop asking questions, and he knew that it would be her that set it up.

Donald was beginning to wonder if or not Laurel had a hero's complex. It made sense given that she wanted him to keep his job, and now with this, setting a reporter on him, just so she could save the day when it nearly hit the fan.

"Is someone asking you too many questions about the task force? I can certainly talk to Cooper for you if that's the case." Ressler once again shook his head, this time placing his coffee mug on the table and standing up.

Did she really not know? Or was this another one of her games? He hated the fact he didn't know for sure because he was certain that she would do something like this. Something to push him over the edge, but she seemed genuinely confused, which Donald assumed could be the only emotion that was genuine when it came to her.

"Did you ask a reporter at the Washington Daily to ask me about a Leona Riley?"

"Who is Leona Riley?

"You read my file, you know exactly who she is, so answer my question." Laurel shook her head, standing up herself, taking a step towards him.

"I never asked anyone to speak to you. Now, why don't you sit down, we can talk about it." Laurel said with a smile.

It took Ressler a minute to realise that he needed to leave. He did not want to get into a conversation about anything with Laurel, let alone a case that would haunt him until the day he died. Which could be sooner than he imagined if Hitchin didn't stop chasing after him to do her dirty work.

"I need to go, but before I do," Ressler took a moment, wondering if he was really that mean as to say what he was about to.

"If I find out that it was you who set this reporter on me, if I find out you had anything to do with it, I swear to god I will tell that young girl up there exactly what you are, and I will make sure that she gets as far away from you as possible." Laurel reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

"After everything I have done for you, you come here and threaten me like that? Donald, it doesn't matter who told who what, but if you come after my little girl, you may just end up like Reven did. So, let's try not to ruin the good thing we've got going here. I hear divorce lawyers are expensive." Ressler pushed her hand off his shoulder, taking a few steps back until he could move towards the door.

"Give me a week and I promise that reporter will disappear." Donald stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around to face her, he knew she would be smiling. Even the thought of killing was enough to make any psychopath smile.

"I think you should leave it. I would hate for you to have to hide another body."

* * *

Let me know what you thought. Thank you for reading. Bethany.


	6. Chapter 6

**Twisted.**

 **Part 6.**

Reviews are loved and appreciated! I hope you enjoy this chapter. All mistakes are my own!

Thank you for all the other reviews!

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

* * *

As Donald looked over the file again, he sighed. He knew he had been through the file over a hundred times, but it still hurt him to read it. He knew it word for word. At first, he just memorised his own reports. Then he began to remember parts of his boss's report and after that, he remembered all of it, from reports to the autopsy file to the newspaper clippings. All of it was stuck in his head and that was without the mental imagines he saw.

He remembered the case so well. The run-up to the court hearing, the gunshots he heard and then the shots he fired. The one that killed Leona Riley and the two that missed. One hit a tree, the other smashing through the window of a car parked on the street.

He knew Cooper knew what had happened. He didn't know the man back then, but now Copper ran a task force, and everyone who worked within that force was checked five times over. Copper had never questioned him about it. He assumed to others it would be 'what's done is done' and since that incident, he had fired his gun multiple times, he had wounded people and killed a few more although, as sickening as it was, he could say he had killed criminals. However, the same couldn't be said for Leona Riley. She was 27 and a teacher in training. She was innocent.

It wouldn't matter if Donald became the President of the United States, it wouldn't matter if he led a task force or became director of the FBI, he had killed an innocent woman and it would stay with him until he died.

The more he thought about the case, the more he wondered if Laurel Hitchin knew. If she knew about the shooting, if it was a tactic to get to him, to get inside his head, but Donald was certain it wouldn't work. She would have to find something else to bribe him or convince him with to play her dirty games.

A part of him was worried about the reporter, and it was because of that he had called Cooper. Just before reading the file again, he called his boss hoping that, at the very least, he could give him some advice. Ressler worked for one of the most secretive task forces in the American Government, he only hoped that would be enough to get Alex Mason to back off.

* * *

Morning rolled around slowly for Ressler. After reading Leona Riley's case file for hours on end, Donald couldn't keep pacing his living room, hence why he was at the office at 5am catching up on paperwork, waiting for Cooper to arrive, hoping he would give him a simple solution to his problem. At one point during the night, or possibly the early hours of the morning he'd thought about what Laurel had said. He knew her 'sorting' it would mean a dead body, but that led him to think more about what she had said.

A part of him wondered what sort of things she would want him to do. What information did she need? Who she needed him to kill. Why? It overwhelmed him, all the questions he had, but the biggest one was and probably always would be - what about Emma? The teen seemed so oblivious to all that was going on, he wondered if that was Laurel's plan, to try and be a normal parent, but when he daughter wasn't around she took people's lives and played twisted games with FBI Agents.

He wasn't sure if it was his training or not, but protecting Emma seemed like the best thing to do. Although he hoped Laurel wouldn't hurt her child, he also believed the woman was on their side, she was one for the rules and worked with the system, and on all counts, he'd been wrong.

He let his mind wander for another hour or so before Cooper arrived at the office and before he could even get to his office, Donald was already talking to him about the report who'd contacted him.

"Sir, I don't know what I am supposed to do. I don't think this task force needs any bad press and I don't think the higher-ups have enough time to deal with him." Ressler mused.

"Ignore him. He can't do anything unless you speak to him. For now, I am more concerned about our blacklister and so should you. If you're so concerned contact someone from the justice department so they can handle it, or call Hitchin, she's acting as our go-between right now. She may be able to get him off your back." Donald nodded at his boss, hoping to god that ignoring Alex Mason would work. He didn't feel like a two-hour phone conversation with the Justice Department or even with Hitchin at this point.

"Thank you, sir."

"Ressler…" Harold called after him, just before he could walk out of the office.

"What happened to Leona Riley was an accident. Wrong place, wrong time, and I know that won't make you feel any better, but it's the truth, so I don't think this reporter has much to go on."

"Agreed, sir."

* * *

Ressler found himself in Alexandria that afternoon, searching a seven-story building from top to bottom. He wasn't sure what they were looking for, but then again, Red never really was specific. So, he was keeping his eyes open looking through whatever he saw. Currently, he was searching through various stacks of papers that had been left on the floor.

"Find anything?" Keen asked behind him. Shaking his head, he kept on searching.

"All of these papers are dated 1984. We should ask Reddington if the year means anything, maybe ask Aram to check to see what happened in that year." Liz nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

Just as she did, Ressler's phone began to ring.

"Ressler."

" _Agent Ressler, it's Alex Mason," Ressler sighed, looking around to make sure he was alone before talking to him._

"I said no comment. You have two choices, either leave me alone or I go to my boss and you can deal with him."

" _Did you kill Leona Riley on purpose?"_

"No comment."

" _Is it true that you asked Leona Riley to be outside the courthouse that day?"_

"No comment." Ressler was just about to hang up when the report said something that stopped him completely.

" _Did you know she was pregnant? You killed an innocent mother and her unborn child."_

Ressler hung up. Waiting a few seconds before leaving the room he was searching, walking straight past Liz and Samar.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"It's a personal matter I need to sort out. I'll see you back at the office." He didn't turn around when he spoke, nor did he stop when they spoke back, all he was focused on was getting in his SUV and driving as fast as he could.

* * *

Cooper. He should have gone to Cooper, he was his boss, he was the man he reported everything too, and that's where he should have been going.

Now, he hated himself because instead of driving back to the Post Office, he was sat in the driveway of Laurel Hitchin's home, waiting for her daughter to leave so he could go in there and ask her to fix it. He needed the reporter off his back, and once that was done, he needed to go and see if the claims were real. He had read the Medical Examiner's report over a hundred times, there was no way he could have missed that the innocent woman he killed was pregnant. That would have been noted, it would have been mentioned.

She wasn't supposed to be at that courthouse, but Ressler was now beginning to wonder what the report had to prove everything he was saying. It wasn't hard to fake evidence, it wouldn't be hard to fake a testimony given years ago with only Ressler alive and sane enough to say it was wrong in a court of law.

Law. He should have been dealing with this the legal way. The way he knew, and in the system, he still had belief in. He should have gone to Cooper, but instead, he was with her. The devil herself. As he watched the young girl leave the house, he knew that Laurel had spotted the car, but he didn't care. He would move when he was ready, or when he had calmed himself down enough to be considered okay.

Had he really killed a mother and her unborn child? He knew from the start that Leona Riley was innocent, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but knowing he could have killed her baby too. Donald wasn't sure he could live with that.

As he got out of the SUV another thought entered his head. Was he really going to do this? Was he really going to ask Laurel Hitchin for help? Make a deal with the devil? As he got closer and closer to the front door the more he began to hate himself. Was she getting inside his head? Had she won?

The door swung open, just before Donald could knock.

"Agent…"

"I need you to tell me the truth."

"I've always told you the truth, now come in, we can have some tea." Ressler shook his head, not wanting to go inside, but also not wanting her protection detail to hear what he had to say.

Taking a step into the house he waited until the door had closed before asking her.

"Was it you who got Alex Mason to ask me questions about Leona Riley?" He watched as she took a deep breath.

"Why don't we,"

"NO!" Ressler raised his voice, taking another step towards her.

"I don't care! I don't want tea, I don't want to sit down and talk, I just want the truth, I'm not here to arrest you or read you your rights, I just want you, for once, to tell me the truth!" Once he had finished, he took a step back, not realising how close he had gotten in the seconds he'd been speaking.

"No. I didn't ask Alex Mason to ask you questions. Yes. I knew about Leona Riley when I read your file and did a background check." Laurel said, and for once Ressler believed she was actually being truthful.

He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair, before shaking his head.

"I shot her, it was an accident, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have had to deal with it for the last twenty years, and I will never get over that…" Ressler stopped. He was opening up to her, and that is not what he wanted. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was what he was going to keep doing.

"Mason said she was pregnant when she died. I could have killed that woman and her unborn baby." He felt Laurel step closer to him, but he wasn't about to let his go too far, so he put a hand out to stop her.

"If you didn't set that reporter on me than who did?"

"I don't know, Donald. But, I can get rid of him for you." Donald let out a small laugh, shaking his head once more.

"I don't need another dead body to worry about, Laurel. Besides, I would hate for Emma to know what you are." Laurel rolled her eyes, before walking back through to the kitchen. It took Donald a moment but he followed her.

He wasn't about to let her get into his head, or agree to do any of her dirty work, but he was there, and for the first time since he saved her life, he didn't care.

"I wish you would stop threatening me with my child."

Donald ignored her, waiting a moment before sitting down on the couch.

"You are the devil, you killed a friend of mine, but even through all of that you have been set on me keeping my badge, now, right now, I don't care why, but what I do want to know is…" He took a breath, "What I would need to sell in order to make a deal with the devil herself?" Laurel placed a cup of tea down in front of him but didn't answer his question. He was about to ask again when she spoke up.

Ressler couldn't believe what he was doing, but this was the case that his father told him about. The one case that would stick with you. The one person you would always remember. This was Donald's case, and right now, he needed reporters as far away from it as possible, and while he was a good cop, he didn't have time to play by the rules. But, he trusted himself. He would ask for her help. Just this once.

* * *

Thank you for reading, let me know what you think! Bethany.


	7. Chapter 7

**Twisted.**

 **Part 7.**

Part seven is here. All mistakes are my one, but I hope you enjoy this. This one is slightly over the top, but I hope you can forgive me for that!

Reviews are loved and appreciated! Thank you for the other reviews!

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

* * *

 _'You have three hours to talk or I run the story.'_

Three hours ago, Ressler was sat at his desk, looking through case files, helping Reddington, working with the task force to catch the next name on the blacklist, but now, he stood in the middle of an abandoned warehouse next to the docks, and from all his time within the force, he knew that was not the place you wanted to be.

"This is not what I asked you to do." Ressler tried to keep his voice calm, but the sight in front of him was worrying, frustrating, and uncomfortably pleasing to him. The latter feeling, he tried to push down, as he knew just what she was capable of.

In front of him, on the third floor, was Alex Mason. Reporter, and pain in the ass, but instead of holding a notebook and phone he was strapped to a chair and gagged. It took Ressler a minute, but the moment he saw Mason, he knew this wasn't an ambush and he was even more certain of that when he saw the devil herself walk towards him. She was no longer in one of her trademark suits, but in black jeans and shirt, something Ressler assumed she could get 'dirty'.

"I know it's not what you asked, darling. But the deeper I dug, the more I realised how much information Mr Mason here, had. You didn't need the stress." Ressler swallowed the sick rising in his throat.

The couple routine. He had seen it before. Hell, he had been a part of it when gathering intelligence, but it was a game he didn't want to play with Hitchin but right now, in the moment, it didn't matter how much he hated it, he knew it was a game, deadly to Alex, but beneficial to her, that he needed to play.

"So, you're doing me a favour?" Donald asked, removing his badge from his belt and sliding it into his coat pocket before shrugging off the coat and throwing it on a stack of old boxes.

"Of course," Hitchin replied as she took a few steps closer to the young man she'd clearly kidnapped and was now holding hostage.

"Pull the gag off, I want to know who hired him, and where he got his information," Donald said, hoping Laurel would do it. A pale blue colour was beginning to show at the corners of Alex's mouth, and he wasn't sure Hitchin would be best pleased with him reviving the man.

Laurel did as he asked without question, pulling the gag from Alex's mouth before walking over to join Donald. They stood in silence for a moment, before Donald put a hand to her back, making her turn to look at him when she did he pulled her back slightly, so he could talk to her without being overheard.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked in a harsh whisper.

"I am helping you sort out a problem that could end your career, you should be thanking me," Laurel said with a smile, inching closer. Donald would have moved back if it wasn't for the fact they were both playing a game, or more accurately, he was playing a game.

"I wanted you to find out who hired him…"

"He's going to tell you; don't you worry about that." Donald shook his head, grabbing her arm as she went to walk away.

"He needs to walk out of here alive. I don't care what you threaten him with, I don't care which state you send him to, but I won't let you take his life." Laurel gave him a look, and Ressler, for once was prepared to be the good cop his father had taught him to be and arrest her, but there was a part of him that couldn't, and that made him sick to his stomach.

"I am a cop, I uphold the law." He said, aloud, but more to himself than anyone else, especially not her. However, the more he looked between Hitchin and Mason, the more it became clear that he needed to play this game in order to save a life, and however hard that would be, he didn't care, it was something he could live with if it meant he could save a life.

"I know you are, dear. But, in my world, this is how we get answers." Ressler didn't have a response for her. But, he knew deep down, no matter how hard she pushed, or how much he went along with her little games, he would only bend the rules, not break them. He was an Agent with the FBI, and that wasn't about to change.

He had made a deal with the devil, so he needed to see this through, and once he knew Alex Mason was out of his life, but still alive, he would sit down and think long and hard about what to do next.

"This is crossing the line. I told you I wouldn't play your games, and I won't. This crosses the line, and I swear to god, if it wasn't for Emma, I would arrest you for kidnapping and assault." Laurel leant forward to whisper in his ear, an action that Ressler hated, but went along with.

"I want to show you how much fun the dark side can be, Donald. As I'm sure your father told you, you never know unless you try." He wanted to reply, but nothing came all, all he could do was watch her as she walked away from him and back towards Alex Mason.

* * *

"Listen to me, okay…" Ressler said, crouching down in front of the reporter. He had to admit, it was strange to be in this situation. Yes, he wanted a name, but he wanted it on paper, not from the reporter's mouth, and certainly not in an abandoned warehouse.

"This will be a lot easier for you if you just tell me who asked you to contact me and who told you about Leona Riley."

Mason simply shook his head.

"How do I know you won't do this to them?" He asked. Ressler could tell this guy was no longer confident or sure of anything. The colour was draining from his face, and he assumed he was sweating bullets, and Ressler knew he needed to get him out of here soon, but he needed to do in such a way that kept Alex alive and Laurel happy.

"You don't." Laurel put in from behind him. Donald could see her stood in Alex's blind spot, touching his shoulder every once in a while, an intimidation tactic that seemed to be working well.

Ressler sighed, running a hand over his face, before trying again.

"I need to know who told you about Leona Riley. Every other cop who worked that case is either dead or close to being dead. All of the case files and medical reports were confidential, so how does a low-level assistant with a camera and a notebook get hold of such information?" There was something in Alex's eyes when Ressler spoke about the confidential reports, something that he'd seen before.

"It's not their fault, and because I am a good man, Agent Ressler, I won't put their lives at risk." _Their_ lives. That was the bit that stuck out for Ressler. That was the bit that made him realise he was doing the wrong thing. There was only one _their_ when it came to the case. Only two other people who knew the case inside out. Who knew what he had done, and knew all of the information that had never been released to the public, because they were not the public.

They were parents.

"Let him go," Ressler said looking at Laurel, who gave him a stern look, like a mother telling off her child.

"Donald…"

"Let him go. I know who set him up, we don't need him anymore." Laurel took a few steps closer to Donald, reaching out to put her hands on his shoulders. Donald would have pushed her away, but he needed to play nice. Playing nice would ensure Alex got out alive.

Before Wright, before he actually got to know Hitchin, he would have thought this was a dream, that there was no way the National Security Advisor would do such a thing, but right now, he knew anything was possible, and that included shooting an innocent man between the eyes before dropping his body in the river, leaving behind no forensic evidence.

"Are you sure?" He wanted to say it made him sick to his stomach how close she was, but he had grown used to it, hell, half the time he expected it. If the marriage metaphors and the constant phone calls were not a big enough hint, the innocent touching surely was. Hitchin needed him for something, Ressler didn't know if it was to hide a dead body or the be the dead body, but the more he got to know her. The real her, he realised that he just had to play along.

At the end of the day, with all he had threatened her with. He wasn't sure he could tell Emma, an innocent 17-year-old student with decent life goals that her mother killed a woman who was only doing her job.

"Let him go, I don't need him anymore," Donald said again, but this time, he said it with more force.

Laurel turned to walk towards Alex, and Ressler wanted to smile because for a few moments he would get to be in charge.

"Laurel…" He said, getting her attention.

"Make sure he walks out of here alive. I know how much you want to see Emma graduate."

* * *

Donald sat in his SUV in a parking lot, only a short distance from the warehouse. He had a complete view and although he wanted to leave, he needed to see Alex walk out alive, and then he needed to speak to Hitchin.

What the hell was she playing at?

What the hell was he playing at? That wasn't him. He didn't break the law, he arrested those who did, but today, instead of pulling out his gun and arresting Hitchin on the spot, he played along with her game. He told himself it was to keep Alex alive, but he knew he could have done that without having the man bound and gagged.

"Shit…" Ressler muttered to himself, closing his eyes momentarily.

This wasn't him. He was one of the good guys. Today he had tortured a young man for information that he could have found out on his own if only he had sat down and thought about it. Today he played along with Hitchin's game and pretty much confirmed to the devil herself that he would be on her side.

His phone vibrating in his pocket caused his to break out of his downward spiral of thoughts.

"Ressler."

" _Well, that was fun, wasn't it?"_

"Where will Alex go now?" Donald asked Hitchin, not wanting to know or even say anything else.

" _To his apartment, I expect. That young man has to get on a plane in a few hours, I think he has a lot to do." Ressler could hear the playful tone in the older woman's voice and shut his eyes, he could picture her smiling._

It made him feel uneasy the way hurting other made her happy.

"I won't do this again. You crossed the line. Laurel, if you want to call me every day for the next ten years, you go ahead, but, even if you think you did me a favour today, you didn't…"

" _Honey, stop talking, please. What I did today was saving you from another night of overthinking and reliving what happened to Leona Riley, and from an embarrassment. He would have run that story, and who knows an investigation could have been launched."_

"So, what you want me to thank you? You broke the law! You could have killed him. I am a federal agent, I uphold the law, I don't break it. I won't stick around and play your twisted games, and I won't let your innocent child stay in that house any longer with a mother who believes that murder is okay."

" _I would never hurt Emma!" Donald was shocked at the sudden outburst, he didn't think he had ever heard her raise her voice, and certainly not heard it laced with so much worry._

"I don't believe you." Ressler said before hanging up, not wanting to have the conversation go on any longer.

* * *

Ressler sat in his office later that evening, explaining to Liz that he had some personal issues to deal with.

"I'm sorry for disappearing, it wasn't right, but I needed to do it."

"That's fine, but if you want to talk then you know where I am." Ressler nodded, before speaking up again.

"How far would you go to protect a child that's not yours? If you didn't have Agnes, but you met a child who you knew was loved, but that child's family were dangerous and unstable, would you help it? Would you stick around? Would you let the parents go free if it meant making a child happy?" Liz sat down looking at Ressler with a look of confusion and worry.

"Is this child loved and cared for by its family?"

"Yeah, she is. Her mother would do anything for her." Ressler said. It felt strange to speak so highly of the woman who killed a woman and nearly killed a young man.

"I know I'm an agent, so I would keep tabs on the family, but I would help the child. Why?"

Ressler shrugged. He knew he couldn't tell Liz the whole story, but he was sure he could tell her parts of it.

"A mother killed a woman, and she has a daughter. The mother wants me to be a part of their lives, and as much as I know I shouldn't be, I want to stick around for the kid." Ressler admitted.

"Then stick around. It's not right, but for the moment, you can help that child, and maybe get to be the father you were supposed to be." Liz gave him a smile, before getting up to walk out of his office, but before she did, she turned to look at him.

"Not sure if you've noticed, Ressler, but we're not really a task force that plays by all the rules."

* * *

I really hope you enjoyed part seven, it took a little longer than expected, but here it is! Reviews are loved and appreciated! Thank you! Bethany.


	8. Chapter 8

**Twisted.**

 **Part 8.**

We are getting super close to the end. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Reviews are loved and appreciated, and I have enjoyed reading the other reviews.

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

* * *

" _This is Agent Donald Ressler with the FBI, I need a surveillance team, please."_

" _Yeah, I need surveillance on an Emma Renee Carter, she attends West Brooke High School."_

" _I need the surveillance for her own protection. Thank you."_

Ressler put the phone down, sighing as he leaned back in his chair. He knew it wouldn't be long before Hitchin found out about the detail he'd put on her daughter, but he felt proud, almost. With only 'Emma' to go on and knowing Hitchin wouldn't have used her own surname, it took Ressler over two days to track down the right name for the team to run with.

* * *

"I'll take Keen with me and go and talk to this Evan Weller," Ressler said, looking between the rest of his team who agreed.

"Samar, stay here with Aram, search through Eliza Green's personal history, and try and talk to Reddington, see where he is," Ressler added, just as he was walking away, not waiting to hear a yes or a no.

As Ressler and Keen rode down in the elevator, they spoke about the case, possible theories and whatever else came to mind about the killing of Eliza Green and whoever Even Weller was.

"Ressler…" Elizabeth said stopping him from talking anymore.

Ressler looked at Keen assuming she would speak, but when she didn't he followed her line of sight and landed on Laurel Hitchin.

"Give me a minute?" Ressler asked Keen who just nodded.

Ressler walked over to where Laurel Hitchin was leant up against the car, with protection agents either side of her, who walked off when he got closer.

"You shouldn't be here, this is a black site," Ressler began, hoping to keep the conversation quick. He had a job to do, and he sure as hell didn't have time to go through the motions with her.

"I can be wherever the hell I want to be, Donald. What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Laurel asked, moving closer to him, speaking in a hushed, yet harsh tone. Ressler knew this was about Emma, it had to be, otherwise, she would have called. As much as he still didn't know everything about her, he had picked up and a few of her habits.

"I'm keeping her safe, assuming Emma is who we're talking about. Look, I have a job to do. You remember, the job you said I would never lose, so let me do it. If you're really that bothered about the added protection your child has then maybe you shouldn't have made so many enemies." Ressler said, leaning in close for the last bit so he could whisper it in her ear, walking away before she had the chance to speak, knowing that she wouldn't shout it across the parking garage at him.

"Is everything okay?" Keen asked.

"It will be, once we find Eliza Greens killer." Ressler said, getting into the car, pulling off at speed, hoping to god Liz wouldn't ask him any more questions.

* * *

Thankfully Liz seemed focused on the case and Ressler could push Hitchin to the back of his mind.

"Do you think she will tell you eventually?" Keen asked as they drove back towards the post office. Evan Weller was no help. Although he seemed to be a less than nice guy they knew they couldn't arrest him for being an idiot, so all they could do was hope that Aram and Samar had gotten something, or Reddington called with some more information.

"Who?"

"Hitchin. That's why you're doing this right? To know why she killed Wright. Ressler, she is evil, she will never tell you, she'll just take you along for the ride." Ressler hated that fact that Liz was probably right.

"I think I realised that a while ago."

"So, why are you still playing her game?" Keen asked, sympathetic because a part of her knew what it was like to want answers.

"Because of her kid. She had a teenager, Emma, and she is everything you'd expect the daughter of the National Security Advisor to be, she's smart, and I mean she is top of her class in almost everything."

Elizabeth gave him a look of confusion. "Nothing in her file said she had a daughter."

"That's what I thought, but then again, she's made a lot of enemies. The kid goes by a different surname. She's innocent, funny, clever, and completely unaware, she thinks her mother is one of the good guys. I don't think she really knows how much danger she is in at any given time." Donald said the last bit as a mutter. It wasn't something he wanted to think about. Not just because this was Hitchin's daughter, but also because seeing any kid get hurt was painful.

"Does Emma know you?" Ressler nodded.

"She's seen me around. I know it's wrong, Keen. Hitchin should be in prison, but this kid thinks the world of her mother, and I know if Hitchin goes away then Emma will be left on her own. When I went to get my badge back, Laurel said she would never let me lose my job, and a part of me didn't believe her, but when I began digging, when I actually looked, it all links back to her, all of the investigations that didn't happen, it was on her orders. She is the reason I have this job, and I hate it, but I owe her."

"But, you don't want to owe her because she's a criminal, so instead you're protecting the one thing closest to her. Her daughter." Ressler nodded in agreement. Of course, Elizabeth didn't know the whole story, and Ressler promised himself she never would because it would lead to the question of 'which side are you on?' and he wasn't sure he had a straight answer for that. At least not after everything that happened with Alex Mason.

As Ressler pulled into the parking garage, he turned to look at Liz.

"You want to tell me I'm crazy now, or in front of Cooper."

"I don't think you're crazy, I think you're doing a good thing. I want Hitchin in prison as much as you do, but maybe her resignation and an off the record confession will do instead?" Liz suggested as she got out of the car.

Ressler watched the door she'd just closed, coming to the realisation that Liz was right. A resignation wouldn't be prison, but it would mean she no longer had the power she does now, which would please a few people. Himself included.

* * *

Ressler had finally decided to stop avoiding Hitchin and her phone calls and just go to her home and explain he was doing this for Emma. He knew it wouldn't be a simple conversation, but he had all night. He also had a lot of explaining to do about himself and how this was going to play out from now on. He was tired of being clueless, and this was something he didn't want to go down for, so tonight would be the night he laid all his cards on the table and told the devil herself to choose.

He was making the rules now, not her.

"Agent Ressler, come in." Emma smiled at him as she let him through the door.

"Hey, Kiddo."

"How was school today?" He asked as he took off his coat.

"It was okay, although I have this huge History presentation to do next week, I'm trying to plan it all out." She said as she walked with him through to the living area.

"What topic are you doing it on?" Ressler spotted Laurel but chose to ignore her for the moment.

"The Berlin Wall. Everyone else is doing the World Wars, so I thought I would do something different." Ressler nodded, he had enjoyed History himself, but he saw that as more 13-year-olds fascination with planes than anything else.

"Tell you what, make a start and if you get stuck or you want someone to bounce ideas off then call me, okay?" Ressler reached into his pocket pulling out his business card before reaching in again and pulling out a pen.

"On the front is my business number, and the back is my personal phone, but you can call both." He handed her the card, watching her smile before she said thank you and excused herself.

Donald turned to look at Laurel who was giving him one of her ice-cold glares.

"The last time I saw you, you nearly killed a young man. Tell me I was wrong to try and protect that girl upstairs. All you have done is make enemies…" Ressler was cut off by her voice being a touch louder.

"She is perfectly safe, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about, Donald." Laurel moved over to the couch, waiting for him to follow her and sit down, but instead, he shook his head. This was Ressler turn to be in charge, she had gotten enough information out of him, now he wanted answers.

"No. This time, I'm gonna ask the questions."

"This is not an interrogation, Donald. You're not at the post office now."

"I'm not, but I am with a criminal. So, Ms. Hitchin, why me? Out of every agent in the Post Office, out of every FBI black site, why me? I am sure you could have found other, other who would be easier to break, who would have done anything if the price was right." Laurel shrugged, but Ressler could tell she was thinking about it.

"You remind me of myself." Donald couldn't help but laugh, but he didn't reply, he only let her talk, hoping that tonight he would see a very different side to the woman he'd nearly killed.

"I was a good agent, I was a good person, but to get where I am I had to do some bad things. Donald, I have seen you at work, you are a good man, you're a boy scout but you've had to do bad to do good, and that's why I like you. You only have two reasons for being here, maybe three, but none of them are because you want to be, or because you want to help me and further my agenda. If anything, the third reason is because you want to prove to me that you're a good person and that you will not do my dirty work for me." Laurel explained, leaning back on the couch, speaking as Donald sat down in the armchair across from her.

"And the first two reasons?"

"One is my innocent child. You tell me you'll tell her everything, but I don't think you will. You watched your own family fall apart, I don't think you want Emma to suffer losing her mother and having no one." Ressler looked down at his feet. He wanted to agree with her, but he didn't want to give her all the power.

"The second reason?" He asked.

"You want to know why I killed Reven Wright."

"Well, that one wasn't rocket science. As for Emma, she is a good kid, and by you being a part of the cabal, killing Wright, making more enemies you put her in more and more danger every day. She deserves a chance in life." Laurel smiled.

"How noble, you're here to give my daughter a chance." Donald stood up, this had not gone to plan, but then again, his visits never did.

"You're right. They are the reasons, and I will stand by them. I won't do your dirty work, but I will protect Emma. So, you have a choice, either resign and help me put away the remaining members of the cabal, or…"

"Or what, Donald." Now she was standing, only a few inches away from him, far too close for comfort, but Donald knew he couldn't back off just yet.

"There shouldn't have to be an 'or' you should only want to keep your kid. Sometimes you have to do bad to do good, Laurel. Do the bad thing, resign in the middle of the President's term to do good. The only good you could ever want is seeing that child happy. I know you are not capable of many emotions, but hell, you have got to be capable of loving her."

When Laurel didn't give him an answer he knew he couldn't stay any longer because the thought had actually entered his mind, that maybe Laurel really wasn't capable of loving her daughter. Maybe that's what hurt Ressler the most. Because he knew if he had a child, he would do anything for it.

"Shit…" He muttered as he walked to his car. Once again, she had gotten inside of his head.

* * *

Thank you for reading, reviews mean everything. Bethany.


	9. Chapter 9

**Twisted.**

 **Part 9.**

Reviews are loved and appreciated, and all your other reviews are so lovely.

All mistakes are my own, but I hope you enjoy anyway!

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing.**

* * *

' _Laurel Hitchin, National Securit_ _y Advisor to the President has resigned today…'_

Ressler couldn't believe what he was seeing. Or more so that fact he was seeing it while stood in her living room.

"Are you happy now, Donald?" Donald glanced over at her, before looking back at the TV, trying to catch the story they were playing, hoping to see the made-up reason she had given the President and the rest of America.

"It's not a prison cell, but it will do for now." He said, turning to look at her.

"I did what you asked, Donald. Now, surely, I should go something in return." Donald chuckled lightly, shaking his head. He knew he had made a deal with the devil in the past, but he couldn't do it again, nor did he want to get used to having power over her. He wanted to protect the child she seemed so incapable of loving, but at the end of it all, he wanted to keep his job, and he wanted Laurel Hitchin to disappear.

"I don't negotiate with criminals. You resigned, and because of that, I assume people will get to go home to their families tonight instead of ending up in the city morgue. You don't deserve anything other than a six by four cell and possibly the needle, but we can have that conversation another day, right now, I am going to work." He turned to face the door, but she stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"What am I supposed to do?" Her voice sounded sweet and innocent, but he could see past it. She wanted to play games, but he was done with all of that. In the beginning, he wanted to stick around to see why she killed Wright, and that was still one of the reasons, then he met Emma, and going against his better judgement, he made this whole thing personal, now he wanted it to end.

The thought of killing her, Hitchin, the devil herself crossed his mind twice a day, sometimes more depending on how much free time he had, but he always managed to talk himself around. Give himself a reason to try and find answers, but now she had resigned he knew that could be harder. She had more time on her hands, and he knew that in her eyes, that meant more time to play games.

"I don't know and I don't care."

* * *

Laurel looked out of the window, watching Ressler drive off. Resisting the urge to call him. The only flaw in that plan was that she had nothing to say. At least not for the moment, she couldn't kid him into anything because they both knew it would take days for her to adjust and settle into the 'new life' she'd told the president she wanted for herself. Plus, it was a challenging task finding criminals who avoided detection for a living.

"Mum, I'm heading off to school, but I have netball tonight and I think me and some of the other girls are going to grab some pizza afterwards," Emma said as she walked into the living room.

Laurel took a minute to look at her daughter. She knew she didn't answer Donald when he had told her that she shouldn't have to make a choice, that Emma should be the only thing she cared about. She did care for her daughter, she considered Emma to be the only good thing in her life, but she also blamed the teen. It was because of Emma she had to do bad things to get ahead. Even when Laurel was younger her father had described her a power hungry and having Emma had only proved that point further when she went back to work a year after having her baby only to find she had been pushed further down the chain of command.

"That's fine, love. Call me after practice, please." She said, smiling as she watched Emma do a final check of her things before leaving the house. No hugs, no kisses, just a simple 'have a good day'. Laurel did think about it, being a good parent, but she never seemed to put her thoughts into practice. She loved her daughter more than anything, but she wasn't really cut out to be a mother, so instead Emma got the best education, the best clothes, the best gym membership, the extra tutoring for Maths, she got whatever she wanted, and Laurel, for the most part, didn't see a problem with that.

That was until Ressler found out about the teenager she had managed to keep hidden. He was every inch the protective father type, going so far as to put FBI protection on Emma. Asking her about school projects, Laurel had caught Emma speaking to him over the phone more than once. Of course, she hated the fact that he cared so much, but it also ensured he stuck around.

She was no longer working for the President, but she still had her contacts, she still had some of the power, even if prison was a possibility.

Emma, although it shouldn't, did ensure that Donald stayed with them, and now Laurel had done the good deed of stepping down, she hoped she could persuade him into playing her dirty games some other way. She was aware that it could mean being his informant, putting away some of her contacts, but even without her position in the White House, she still had the upper hand, there were members of the cabal that even Raymond Reddington didn't know about.

Laurel Hitchin would never be a changed woman, but there was a part of her that wanted to be.

* * *

"I see it went well with Hitchin," Liz said walking into Ressler office, and closing the door behind her.

"She still has contacts, ways of getting to people. I just want to stop the dead bodies from popping up." Donald admitted.

"What are you going to do now?" Ressler shrugged, putting down the pen he was using.

"I don't know. I am still trying to figure out how I got here. One minute she's giving me my badge back and the next I am staring at a carbon copy of the devil herself and instead of arresting her like I should have done, I am using every favour I have to make sure she gets to see her kid graduate." Elizabeth gave him a small smile, and Ressler could see was sympathetic.

"I would say talk to her, but I doubt that's harder than it sounds."

"Emma goes to University in a year. She wants to go to Oxford in the U.K, study English Literature. She would be away and she wouldn't have to see her mum arrested and on trial." Ressler couldn't believe he was saying it, but a part of him knew at some point Laurel Hitchin would have to pay for the wrongs she had done. Ressler already had Leona Riley on his list, he did not need Laurel Hitchin to be another case full of regret.

"But she would still have to live knowing what her mother did." Liz pointed out.

"But only her. She doesn't have her mother's name, it's not in any personnel file, she would be in a different country. Keen, I uphold the law, I bend the rules, I don't break them. She deserves to go to prison for the murder of Reven Wright."

* * *

Laurel was surprised when Donald let her into his apartment. She had only been there once before and nothing had changed, but this time she sat down waiting for him to make the drinks.

"I didn't kill anyone today." She said with a grin when Donald handed her a mug of coffee.

"I need a list of names, members of the cabal who are still active. For now, you need to be an FBI informant to avoid prison time." Donald told her straight, he didn't have time for games.

Laurel gave him a look, but smiled, nodded.

"It could take me a few days, I no longer have the power I used to." She waited a moment before carrying on.

"How many strings did you need to pull to get this to work. I can't imagine Cooper was very happy."

He wasn't. At one point in Ressler's conversation with his boss he thought about caving in and just letting the task force arrest her and himself, but he pushed through, explaining the most important parts to Cooper. He was assured for now he had a job, but Cooper had conditions, Donald was just pleased most of them matched him.

Donald put his mug on the coffee table, reaching for the folder that had been sat there.

"In a year, we will make sure Emma gets into Oxford University in the U.K. All living costs and protection for her will be covered. When Emma leaves for Oxford, you will be arrested for the murder of Reven Wright and the kidnapping and attempted murder of Alex Mason. Your sentence will depend on the names on the list you're going to write…" Donald said, trailing off at the end, not being able to read her reaction.

"This is not what we talked about, Donald."

"It's not. But like I told you, in the beginning, I bend the rules, I don't break them."

Laurel took a breath, shaking her head, before looking back at Donald.

"Five years. I serve five years, I give you the names on that list and I want you to be the agent who tells Emma." Donald gave her a look and was confused, to say the least. He was sure she would fight harder, but there was something in her eyes that told him she was being honest about this.

"I thought you would shoot me." Laurel laughed.

"I like you, and so does my daughter." Laurel gave a simple explanation.

"You need to write that list." Laurel stood up, giving him a smile, picking up her bag as she walked to the kitchen counter, unzipping it, she placed something down, before doing her bag back up and making her way to the door.

"Well done, Agent Ressler, you earned yourself another badge."

Ressler looked over the kitchen counter, waiting for his apartment door to close before he looked at it properly. Looking at it, he wondered if he had been wrong. If she had a plan in place, something to buy her more time, a way to get out of serving prison time, but he had no idea what it was.

He put the badge back down, giving it one last look.

 _Loyalty Badge._

* * *

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you stick around for the final chapter. Bethany.


	10. Chapter 10

**Twisted.**

 **Part 10.**

The final chapter! A little shorter than my other chapters and really not where I planned to go, but I hope this is a good chapter to end on. It's very open-ended, but I hope it's good either way!

Reviews are loved and appreciated! All mistakes are my own.

 **Disclaimer - I own nothing.**

* * *

"Ressler." He said into his phone, as he walked to his car in the parking garage.

" _Agent Ressler, it's Emma."_

"Emma, hey, are you okay, kid?" He asked, stopping only for a moment to unlock his car.

" _I think my mum's gone."_ It was a sentence that made Ressler want to punch something. He'd had a feeling all week, a feeling that something was off, something wasn't right, but he never thought this would be it.

"Are you at home?"

" _Yeah, I got home about twenty minutes ago."_

"Okay, don't worry, I am on my way."

* * *

Walking into the house, Ressler knew instantly that Emma was right. It was even more clear when he found the young girl sat in the living room looking at what was a partially empty house. A few photographs, important ones had gone, as well as some personal items that Donald had noticed during his visits.

"She left copies of the photographs she took. I checked upstairs, her closet is empty, the only things left are my things and some letters." Emma told him, with a sad smile.

Before Ressler looked at anything he called Keen, asking her to meet him at the house, hoping to god she would, and possibly bring Samar and Cooper. He hoped Emma would feel better with female agents because he knew if Hitchin was gone, she was going to want to know why.

* * *

"Ressler…"

"She's gone. Emma, her daughter came home to find clothes and personal items gone. She left a list of names, I assume they're names of other cabal members. Emma said she left some letters as well, one addressed to Emma, one addressed to me, and one addressed to the President." Donald explained to Cooper, Keen and Navabi.

"Agent Ressler?" Ressler turned to look at Emma.

"Hey, kiddo. Look, I know you're a teenager now and you don't need looking after, but I think for the next few days it would be better if you stayed with one of my friends." Emma nodded a little before holding out a sheet of paper.

"She said in her letter for me that she wasn't coming back, but that she loved me and that you would explain what she'd done." Ressler sighed, he didn't know what to say, he didn't have an answer for her.

"Hey, Emma. I'm Samar, why don't we go to your room and pack some of your stuff so we can get out of here?"

Ressler gave Samar a nod of thanks, watching as she took Emma upstairs. Ressler didn't want to treat a seventeen-year-old with kid gloves, but she had just come home to find her mother gone, and that was about to get much worse when she found out why.

"You told her about the deal?" Cooper asked.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I really believed she would stay for her daughter. She was too calm when I told her, too open to the idea of prison, I should have seen past it. Hell, I should have arrested her months ago when I had the chance." Ressler said in frustration, but Cooper only shook his head.

"You did what you thought was right for Emma Carter. She is a victim in all of this and you kept her safe. I trust your judgement, Donald. I know you would have arrested her had it gone too far." Cooper said, but Ressler got the impression he wasn't saying all he wanted to.

"You should read the letter, maybe she's told you where she is?" Liz suggested as she carried on looking around.

"All of these photos are either of her and Emma, Emma getting awards or Hitchin getting awards. I'll go look in the home office and see if she took anything from there." Liz said, putting the photo's back on the coffee table, moving out of the living room.

As Liz left the room Donald sat down to read the letter that was addressed to him. At first, he scanned it, looking for any information that could help him find her, or at least let him know what to tell Emma. After he scanned the letter once he did it again and kept coming back to the same point, the same sentences, and words, sighing he knew that it wouldn't matter what they did now, they wouldn't get her back in the United States.

"Anything?" Samar asked when she came back downstairs. Ressler looked past her for any sign of Emma, but Samar caught on to what he was doing.

"She is still upstairs packing her things." She reassured.

"Nothing in the home office…" Elizabeth said walking back into the room.

Ressler waited a moment, before looking at his boss and his two colleagues, he wanted to get this out in the open before Emma heard any of it. It was going to be bad enough for her to know the truth, but to overhear it would only add insult to injury.

"She's not coming back. It says _'Please apologise to Emma for me, but I think we all know this is for the best. The United States is no longer a place I can live, I did wrong things for the right reasons, but the Justice System is non- forgiving.'_ She talks about Emma, about what she wants to happen to her and then says the list of names are active members of the cabal, but this is what stood out, _'Please know that in the beginning, I did all I could to protect my country. I served at the pleasure of the President, but I will no longer answer to him.'_ Boss, Hitchin is smart, I think what she means is that she has gone to a country with no extradition treaty with the US." Ressler watched as Cooper nodded in understanding.

"Our priority right now is to find the names on that list and to protect that young girl upstairs. If Hitchin has gone overseas all we can do is put others on alert." It was not the answer Ressler wanted, but it was the only one he was going to get.

* * *

Donald took Emma back to the post office, holding her shoulders and leading her into the large space before pulling off the blindfold. It was protocol, but Emma had said she understood and didn't mind.

"In a minute I will take you up to my office and we can talk about what's going to happen now. Do you know if there is anyone we can call; do you have any Aunts or Uncles?" Donald asked.

"No. I mean, you could try Sarah, she was my nanny. She stopped looking after me when I was thirteen. When she left she mentioned something about a new house in Woodbridge, Virginia."

"I can look that up," Aram said, from his desk.

"Thanks, Aram. Let me know if you find anything." Ressler said, waiting for a few seconds to see if anyone else wanted to say anything.

"Okay, why don't we go up to my office, we can talk up there. Do you want a drink or anything to eat?" Donald asked, walking over to the stairs, stopping when he noticed Emma wasn't following them.

"Emma?"

"My mum did some bad things, didn't she?" The whole room went quiet and the only thing that could be heard while Ressler came up with an answer was the beeping of the computers. Cooper had come to stand on the elevated walkway, and all the other agents, like Emma, were waiting for Donald to speak.

He knew it would be a twisted story to tell, but it was better than a lie. Laurel had asked him in that letter to tell Emma, and from the moment he met her, he told himself the only reason he made a deal with the devil was to keep her safe and that wasn't about to change.

He was a good cop, and good cops upheld the law, and they didn't lie.

"Yeah, Kid. She did some pretty bad stuff…"

* * *

Ressler picked up the phone when it rang later that night. Looking at the caller I.D he smiled to the young girl sat on the couch next to him.

"Pretty impressive stunt you pulled today,"

" _Well, Donald, I like to impress. Tell me, how's my girl?" Laurel Hitchin replied._

"Waiting for an explanation I'd say."

" _Tell her she'll get one if you keep your promise."_

Donald looked to Emma, who was reading her book, but inside he knew she was waiting for him to say something.

"Our plane leaves in a few hours,"

" _How does it feel to be on the dark side, Agent?"_

"I'll let you know," Ressler put the phone down.

"Do you think she'll tell me everything?" Emma asked.

"I hope so, kid, I really hope so." Ressler wasn't sure what the hell he was doing, but he knew he needed to protect Emma, even if that did mean giving up his life to live with a criminal. Maybe in a year or so when Emma was in London, maybe then he would tell the world the truth, but until that time came, he would keep on going with his plan.

He would play Laurel Hitchin's twisted games.

* * *

We have reached the end of this story! I really wanted this to be a very open-ended story, but I hope it was enjoyable. Reviews are so loved and appreciated. Bethany.


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